South American stories and travel tales from around the world

Being in Palma for the weekend of their famous carnival was a happy coincidence, but one that meant we could see the Sa Rua parade in all its glory. It may not be on the scale of Rio, but there’s colour and dazzling outfits as far as the eye can see in the 90 minute…

I’m not going to lie, I was a little nervous about our China trip. Huge crowds, pollution and the language barrier all worried me a little. But if you’re looking for stacks of history and some spectacular scenery, China is a winner. It’s also not as difficult to travel around by train as we expected,…

Are you looking for a Christmas gift for the traveller in your life? I’ve put together a few ideas that might make the traveller in your life smile (there are no affiliate links because I’m too lazy to sign up for any schemes ;) Ethnotek bags I have the sling bag in this Guatemala design and…

If you take a wander through the streets of Brighton and Hove this month, you might spot something unusual. The city has been taken over by giant, human-size snails, painted in a kaleidoscope of colours and patterns. But don’t worry, you’re not imagining things. You’ve discovered the Snailspace trail, 50 snails painted by a range…

Ghost town. Are there many more evocative words in the English language? Maybe they conjure up images of dusty Wild West abandoned saloons, doors swinging in the breeze. Or places which once welcomed a gold or mineral rush, only to empty out twenty years later when all the mines were stripped clean of their treasures….

2018 has been a quieter travel year for me, but we are heading east in a couple of months’ time to visit China! We were looking for somewhere warm and malaria free to spend some time in November and Hainan, a subtropical island in the South China sea came up – handily there are now…

It’s been a little quiet around here this summer but just in time for that ‘back to school’ feeling, I can finally reveal that I will be writing a travel guidebook. It will be a regional travel guide, but a bit different to your usual Rough Guides/Lonely Planets. The focus will be on what makes…

Sardinia is a great place to slow down. We often pack our holidays full of things to do every day, but sometimes it’s just nice to relax. So a four-night break in June was perfect to unwind a bit. We stayed on the east coast of Sardinia at Arbatax for three nights, filling our time…

I keep meaning to add more Brighton content here but always forget. But I had to share a great new bar we visited last weekend, the Bison Beer Crafthouse. You’ll find this place on North Road (not North Street!) right in the heart of the North Laine. It’s really easy to spot due to the…

“At Eid, everyone wanna go Forodhani”. The words of our guide rang in my ears as we surveyed the sea of joyful families and friends spilling out of the gardens and into the road along the seafront. An Eid night celebration at Forodhani Gardens in Zanzibar is something to behold. Dazzling colours, peaceful crowds picnicing…